The discovery of a drone near a Ukrainian Antonov An-124 cargo plane at Leipzig/Halle Airport has alarmed German authorities, with US intelligence assessing that the Russian government is behind the incident.
US intelligence agencies have assessed that the drone with explosives found on the night of August 5, 2026, at Leipzig/Halle Airport in Germany is linked to the Russian government. The Wall Street Journal reported the information on August 8, citing US officials familiar with the intelligence assessments. A US defense official in Europe also confirmed the assessment to CNN.
The drone was found within the secured cargo operations area, in close proximity to a Ukrainian Antonov An-124 cargo plane. The aircraft is owned by Antonov Airlines, which has used Leipzig/Halle Airport as its main European operational base since 2022. The airport is regularly used for military and logistical flights associated with the NATO alliance.
German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said the incident represents a "new level of danger" and pointed to the possible involvement of a foreign state. Germany's Federal Security Council, chaired by Chancellor Friedrich Merz, held a meeting on August 7 dedicated to this case.
The incident has further heightened concerns among Western officials about suspected Russian sabotage activities targeting critical infrastructure and military logistics in Europe. Although US intelligence now believes the device is linked to the Russian government, officials have not publicly disclosed the evidence on which that assessment is based.
Initial reports claimed that the An-124 was loaded with ammunition brought from France before continuing its flight. However, the German Interior Ministry later denied these claims during a closed briefing with members of the Bundestag, Germany's parliament, stating that there was no ammunition on board.
According to earlier reports in German media, the drone was equipped with an explosive device. Airport personnel spotted the unmanned aerial vehicle flying at low altitude between two Ukrainian cargo planes before it fell to the ground. The airport was temporarily closed overnight while authorities responded to the incident. Ukraine's Foreign Ministry said there were no injuries and confirmed that Antonov's aircraft were not damaged.
